BERKELEYSIDE: The cooking and gardening programs at Berkeley schools’ are recognized as being among the best in the country. Now they are about to lose funding – once again. But, unlike last year, no last-minute reprieve of federal funds is expected.

Schools representatives met with about 120 parents last Thursday night at Longfellow Middle School to explain why the programs are set to lose $1.9 million of U.S. Department of Agriculture funds, and what potential solutions are being developed.

Every public school in Berkeley — from pre-school to high school — currently has either a cooking program or an edible garden, with 10 schools having both. A series of videos shown at Thursday’s meeting — kindergarteners working with knives and graters, kids watering in the garden and stuffing their mouths with greens — shows just what is at stake.